I once overheard my grandmother telling someone that she was 29 (I can’t remember the exact situation, but she was clearly joking in that kind of “I’m turning 29 for the twelfth time!” way). I believed that for the longest time. It wasn’t until my mom had a birthday and told us she was 35 that I thought “wait a minute - how can grandma be 29 if mom is 35?”
I realized later that this misconception had two parts - first, my belief that my grandma was only 29, and second, that she was still 29 even though I think several years had passed since I heard that. In my mind kids got older, but adults were just whatever age they were and they stayed that way. I mean, they weren’t getting any taller, were they?
My mom and dad pulled that on my brother and I … they told us that they were 39 when I was probably 5 and my brother 7, then again the next year. My brother was suspicious and tried to convince me, but I apparently didn’t believe him until the next year when I turned 7.
My mom decided when she turned 69 that she was going to start counting backwards so she is now 48 again …
Thanks for your post, because it reminded me of something I believed. I figured my Sunday School superintendant was God. After all, he was clearly the one in charge!
When I was 4 or so, a neighbor died. My grandparents were involved in planning the funeral. My grandfather had to recruit pall bearers. I over heard several phone conversations.
Came the day of the funeral, I was inconsolable because I had to stay home. I REALLY wanted to see the polar bears too!
When I was young the family doctor asked my mother how my bowels were and I said I could spell just fine. I’m assuming you had to be there but he was doubled over laughing. Thus ended my career in medicine.
I thought that the people in the tv could see you, so i would never get dressed or undressed in front of tv, especially when sesame street or mr rogers was on.